


A Wild Whisper

by LeChatRouge673



Series: Kissing Day 2017 [5]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kissing Day 2017, friendship fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 00:47:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12783267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673





	A Wild Whisper

_Kissing Day, 9:42 Dragon_

 

Nathaniel inhaled deeply, focusing his attention. Beside him, he could sense Thea doing the same, her bowstring drawn taut and her eyes peering downrange. With a synchronous exhale, they loosed their arrows, hitting their respective targets almost simultaneously. He looked at her and smiled, and was pleased to find her smiling back. The silver charm bracelet on her wrist was glittering in the early autumn sunlight: an arrow charm had joined the sunflower this year. He had figured it would be appropriate given their plans for the day.

He and Cat had worked out a system of sorts. Kissing Day was never intended to only be for lovers, and there were too many people in their lives that they wanted to spend time with on the day, so they had carved it into blocks. The morning was for the two of them, then Nathaniel would spend the afternoon with Thea, who was always alone on the holiday while Cullen was out of town due to some previous agreement on their part. While Nathaniel was with Thea, Cataline would spend time with her friends Alistair, Leliana, and Zevran. Finally, Cat would join them in the evening for pizza and ridiculous movies at Thea’s house.

“Your stance has changed,” he observed. “You’re finally accounting for that old injury in your right hip. Last I remember, you refused to adjust it.”

Thea gave a small breath of laughter. “Ten years is a long time, Nate. You were not the only teacher I had.” Her hand went to her locket, and he understood.

“Yes, but I was obviously the best one,” he retorted, and she looked at him with a single eyebrow quirked over storm blue eyes.

“Oh? You think so, huh?”

Nathaniel nodded, smirking slightly. “Your stance is different, but your draw, your breathing, your eyes… those are all the marks of a shadow. My Shadow, specifically.”

She laughed. “Andraste preserve me, I have not heard _that_ nickname in years. When did Uncle Bryce start calling me that?”

“What, the next summer after we first became friends?” Nathaniel handed her another arrow. “I don’t think he gave you enough credit: you were never following me so much as I was chasing after you on one adventure or another. Remember the time we took our bikes up into the backwoods?”

“And I thought it would be a good idea to ride them down the steepest part of the mountain even though there was no path there?”

“Yes. How many stitches was that incident?”

“Only five,” she responded innocently, tracing the faint scar along her jaw with her fingers. “I think I had eight in my thigh after I fell down that flight of stairs when we went to the beach that one year. You came with us that summer and Cat was just over the moon, and I was trying to leave the two of you alone so I went off exploring the old lighthouse by myself.” Thea shuddered slightly. “I still have nightmares about that staircase.”

“Yes, and then Cat chewed me out for not being there to keep you out of trouble,” Nathaniel deadpanned.

Thea winced. “Yeah… not one of my better moments. Although, that was still better than the time we got into a fistfight in the wading pool and you knocked me down. I chipped a tooth that time.” Thea released her arrow, sending it flawlessly into the far target.

“Oh yeah,” Nathaniel frowned, trying to recall the memory, “Didn’t you give me a black eye and knock me out cold? What were we fighting about again?”

“You were going to ask Evira, or Avina, I forget her name, to the homecoming dance your first year at university instead of Cat and I took issue with it. Which, in retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have since it was _technically_ none of my damn business.”

“Ah,” Nathaniel gave her a small smile. “So I deserved it, then.”

“Oh absolutely.”

He laughed, then released his own arrow, watching as it hit just beside Thea’s. “You always knew, didn’t you? Ever since that first day in the woods when you gave me those wildflowers and told me I would need them. You knew.”

“I know lots of things, Nate,” Thea replied evenly. “But yes: I have always known you two were meant to be together. Nobody else ever quite understood why I never liked any of Cat’s boyfriends. Well, except Uncle Bryce and Aunt Eleanor, maybe. A lot of people assumed she would end up with Alistair, since they were so close, but they were always just friends. Thank the Maker,” Thea added the last bit with a slight sigh.

“He’s still not speaking to you, huh?”

“Of course not.” Thea accepted another arrow. “I don’t know that he ever will, and that is his prerogative.”

Nathaniel shrugged. “His loss,” he said as he drew back the bowstring. He did not dislike Alistair, exactly… but he was also not sorry he was spending the afternoon with his best friend instead of with Cat’s friends.

Thea gave another small sigh. “Yeah. Still stings a bit, but I knew the risks. I would make the same decision again.”

“I know.” Nathaniel set his bow down and offered his arm, and Thea took it as she set her own bow aside as well. They ambled down the lawn away from the house, towards the sea, and settled on Thea’s favorite beach log. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Besides,” she mused, picking up the thread of conversation, “I still have you and Cat, and Cullen of course. Life is pretty damn good, at the moment.”

“Thea?”

“Hm?”

Nathaniel paused, looking out over the sea. “You know that no matter what, you’ll always have me and Cat, right? We will never abandon you. We will never stop speaking to you, and we will never leave you.” He had spoken the words before, countless times since he had finally come home, but he knew she still needed to hear them.

Thea smiled, the gesture a whisper of softness against the wild storm that was her nature. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” he replied, “And hope to die.”

“Oh don’t you fucking dare,” she giggled, “I am not going to break in a new best friend. You were gone for ten years and I never managed it.”

He chuckled softly, wrapping his arm tighter around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Fair enough. Good to know I’m not so easily replaced.”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “You and me, Nate. Best friends forever. Besides,” she looked up at him with a grin.

“Other than Cat and Cullen? I don’t think anyone else would put up with us.”

 

 

 

 


End file.
